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, SEAL. No. 520,390. Patented May 22, 1894.

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EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE', NEV JERSEY, ASSlGNOR/TO THE E. J.BROOKS da COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,390, dated May 22,1894.

Application tiled March 20. 1894.

T0 all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Seals, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to press-fastened seals for securing the doors ofrailway freightcars, the lids of strong boxes, &c., and consists in thecombination in such a seal of a flexible shackle-wire having looped endsand a pair of disk-forming cups of sheet-metal wired with the respectiveshackle-loops the larger cup having an inwardly folding rim whichsecures the other shackle-end when the seal-press is applied, and in animproved seal composed of such shackle-wire and cups the smallersheet-metal cup having an outwardly folding rim to interlock with saidinwardly folding rim of thecup first named; said cups being convenientlyprovided with any vrequired lettering in course of manufacture, andhaving holes or notches in their rims through which the shackle-Wireextends, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The objects of this invention are to securely unite the ends of ashackle-wire without the aid of lead, and to produce a light andrelatively inexpensive seal composed wholly of wire and sheet-metal, andat the same time having its seal proper in the form of a lettered diskas is most commonly preferred.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figures l, 2 and 3 of the drawings represent respectively the threeparts which are brought together to form the improved seal as preferablyconstructed, Figs. 2 and 3 including back edge and face views of therespective cups. Fig. 4 illustrates assembling the shackle-wire andsmaller cup. Fig. 5 illustrates applying the second cup and completingthe shackle-wire. Fig. 6 represents face and edge views of the seal asit leaves the factory. Fig. 7 represents a magnified crosssection on theline 7-7 Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 a magnified cross-section on the line 8-8Fig. 6. Fig. 9 represents a magnified cross-section through the outercup, with the inner cup inserted therein, preparatory to the pressingASerial No. 504,418. (No model.)

operation. Fig. 10 represents a magnified cross-section through theseal-disk as fastened and completed by the seal-press, with its reverse,projected from said cross-section; and

Fig. 11 represents the obverse of the pressed seal-disk.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in all the gures.

To form the specific seal represented by Figs. 1 to 11 inclusive,'Iprovide a iiexible shackle A, Fig. 1, of suitable wire, having acircular loop l at one end, and a pair of diskforming cups B, C, Figs. 2and 3, of suitable sheet-metal, which may be taggers-tin, bright tin,brass, or copper, for example; each of the cups being composed of acircular face-portion 2, conveniently and preferably provided withembossed lettering or like marks in process of manufacture, and asubstantially cylindrical rim 3 provided with a single perforation 4.Having threaded a cup B over the unlooped end of the shackle A, as inFig. 4, this cup is wired with said loop 1 of the shackle as in wiringsheet-metal ware, which completes this end of the seal, as at the top inFigs. 5 and 6, the rim 3 beingleft with a tendency to flatten outwardunder pressure. See Fig. 7. A cup C is then threaded on said unloopedend of the shackle, and this end is then provided with a circular loop 5somewhat larger than said loop 1, as in Fig. 5, and said cup C is wiredwith said loop 5, its rim 3 being left with a tendency to fold inwardunder pressure. See Fig. 8. This completes the manufacture of the sealas an article of commerce; its appearance as it leaves the factory beingrepresented by Fig. 6 as aforesaid.

After passing the smaller cup B through ordinary car-door staples. orthe like, the rim 3 of this cup B is inserted within that of the cup C,as in Fig. 9, and a suitable seal-press is applied which simultaneouslyflattens both cups, causing said rim 3 of the cup B to flatten outward,and said rim 3 of the cup C to fold inward upon said rim of the cup B,making the pressed seal appear in cross-section as at the top of Fig.10, with the distinguishing marks of the respective cups exposed at therespective sides of the disk as in Figs. 10 and 11. The mark or marks onone side of the disk may conveniently indicate the num- IOO ber of thesealing station, as in Fig. l0, While those on the other side indicatethe ownership of the seal, as in Fig. ll, but such marks may be of anypreferred description, or may be omitted without departing from thisinvention, the respective parts of the seal being otherwise sufficientlydiiiicult to duplicate in order to .insure the detection of anyviolation of the seal.

The cups B and C may be notched instead of being provided withperforations las above described, in order that the shackle-Wire A maybe provided with both of its loops preliminarily, and the manufactureot' the improved seals otherwise facilitated, but with some loss ofsecurity as compared With the construction above described. The. twocups may if desired be made respectively of difterent metals ofcontrasting colors to facilitate the recognition ot particular seals;different kinds of Wire may also be employed; theiinproved seals may bemade of any desired size;

and other like modifications Willsuggest themselves to those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described the said improvement, I claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification- 1. A seal composed of aflexible shackle- Wire having loops of different sizes at itsrespecified.

EDWARD J. BRGOKS. Witnesses:

JAs. L. EWIN, GEO. M. WHITNEY.

